Originally from Ireland, Clodagh Lyons-Bastian has considered herself a Raleighite since her twenties. She teaches Public Relations, Strategic Communication, and Artificial Intelligence at Noth Carolina State University and also loves to be involved in our vibrant Raleigh community. Clodagh currently serves on the Raleigh Arts Commission and the Wake-Hillsborough CAC advisory board. Passionate about nature and wildlife conservation and our Raleigh green infrastructure, she is a strong advocate for the 24K Trees Campaign, an initiative to plant 24, 000 trees in Raleigh by the City of Oak’s 240 th birthday in 2032.
Clodagh spoke to Raleigh City Council on March 17, 2026:
Good afternoon Mayor, good afternoon Councilors. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m here to talk with you today about trees.
Trees make Raleigh Raleigh. They shape our cityscape, and they define us as the City of Oaks. They’re the first thing visitors notice, and they are a large part of what makes so many people want to stay here.
Sadly, Raleigh’s popularity has come at a cost to our trees. According to the recent Wake County Land Cover Analysis and Tree Canopy Assessment, our county’s population grew at 3.5 times the national rate between 2010 and 2020 — and during that same period, we lost more than 11,000 acres of tree canopy. That’s more than twice the size of Umstead State Park. Development has continued since.
This isn’t just about beauty. Trees are natural infrastructure. That same Wake County study values the contributions trees make to ecosystem services, such as air pollution removal, carbon sequestration, and stormwater capture at $3.2 billion or $2,834 per capita. Trees mitigate heat islands, they clean our air and water, they improve public health, and they enhance our quality of life.
This Council and our Parks Department are already acting. The Leaf Out program you’ll hear an update on later is an amazing first step — but Leaf Out alone can’t counteract the scale of what we’ve lost.
That’s why I’m asking you to support the 24K Trees Campaign — an initiative to plant 24,000 trees by Raleigh’s 240th birthday in 2032. The campaign lays out a plan to re-canopy Raleigh by planting trees on state, county, and city land, rights-of-way, and private properties. The impetus for this project is rooted in organic collaboration between citizens, local nonprofits, and work from the Parks Sustainability, Wildlife, and Urban Trees Committee.
Some of those in support are here today — wearing green not just for Paddy’s Day, but to show their support for trees.
Dear council, I urge you to help facilitate the 24K Trees Campaign to restore Raleigh’s magnificent canopy in time for our City of Oaks 240 th birthday celebration. The Coalition stands ready to help.
Thank you
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